Combination helmet and hanger means for carrying toy vehicles

ABSTRACT

A helmet of rigid material adapted to be worn on the head of a child, the helmet having a plurality of horizontal slots formed in the head encircling side portions thereof, and a plurality of hanger members each having a clip adapted to be engaged in one of said slots and a means for detachably carrying a miniature toy vehicle enabling the child to carry a plurality of such vehicles on the helmet for selective detachment and use in play.

United States Patent 1m entor Cecil F. Adickes Playa Del Rey. Calif.

Appl. No. 33,730

Filed May 1,1970

Patented Aug. 3, I971 Assignee Tonka Corporation Mound, Minn.

COMBINATION HELMET AND HANGER MEANS FOR CARRYING TOY VEHICLES 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 2/3, 2/ 1 85 A, 46/1 F Int. Cl A42b 3/00, A42b 1/24 Field of Search 2/3, 5. 6,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Des. 176.073 11/1955 Mantell 2/199 X 2,620.483 12/1952 Reinhard 1 2/185 A 2,760,304 8/1956 Chirco etal. 2/ 85 AX 1,270 11/1958 McCoy 2/3 R 7,138 10/1959 Kolwicz /l A Primary Examiner-.lames R. Boler AttorneyCarlsen, Carlsen & Sturm COMBINATION HELMET AND HANGER MEANS FOR CARRYING TOY VEHICLES SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Miniature toy vehicles in the size range of 2 to 4 inches in length are becoming increasingly more popular for use in play be young children. These are frequently purchased in sets of different types of vehicles so that the child may have some variety. Toys of such size used in plural numbers are subject to loss or damage due to unsatisfactory means for the child to enjoyably carry or store the toys.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a combination helmet and hanger means which will allow a small child to comfortably and proudly carry about a plurality of miniature toy vehicles for his selective use at play and add to his enjoyment and preservation thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 3 is a vertical section through a side of the helmet taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section through the hanger taken on line 44 of FIG. 3 and looking downwardly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the drawing reference numerals will be used to denote like parts or structural fea tures in the different views. The helmet designated generally by the number is formed of a rigid material such as metal or plastic. It has a dome-shaped head-covering portion 11 and a front visor portion 12. The sidewalls of the dome portion 11 may be provided with a decorative ridge 14 each of which has one or more slots 15 along its upper edge opening through the portion 11 into the area inside of the helmet As will be observed in FIG. 3 slots 15 open upwardly.

A hanger member denoted generally at 16 is formed of an elongated strap of semirigid resilient material such as plastic and is provided with a nameplate 17 at its upper end. Just below the nameplate a clip 18 is punched rearwardly from the strap to extend downwardly in rearwardly spaced parallelism to the plane of the strap with its lower distal end flaring slightly outward as shown in FIG. 3. The lower end portion of hanger member 16 is provided with a box-shaped protrusion 19 from which extend a pair of horizontally spaced studs 20 each having a catch tooth 21 near its outer end. A miniature car such as 22 has a pair of apertures on its underside (not shown) adapted to detachably receive studs 22 for mounting the car on the hanger member.

In use a plurality of the hanger members each having a car 22 mounted thereon may be attached to the helmet 10 with their clips 18 inserted into the various slots 15. The cars are thus carried about. When a child wishes to play with any certain car he merely removes the hanger member carrying that car from the helmet by withdrawing its clip 18 from slot 15 and then detaches the car 22 from the clip. The clip may then be replaced on the helmet during play. The helmet and clip arrangement thus serves as decorative, enjoyable and effective carrying and storage means for a plurality of miniature cars.

It is important that the elevation of the slots on the helmet be greater than the length of hangers 16 so that cars will rest against the sides of the helmet rather than hang down upon the wearers neck or shoulders so as to create discomfort. Also when the helmet is removed and set at rest upon a shelf or the like with its open end down, the cars will not engage the shelf and be dislodged.

It is found that the helmet and hanger means adds significantly to the child's excitement and enjoyment of the cars and teaches him to keep them in their proper place when not in use.

Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

I. An apparatus for carrying miniature toy vehicles or the like comprising,

a. a helmet of rigid sheet material adapted to fit on a child's head and having portions adapted to extend along the sides of the head,

b. said side portions each having one or more horizontal slots near the top thereof,

c. an elongated hanger member having a clip near one end thereof for insertion into one of said slots to depend vertically along the side portion of the helmet, and

d. said hanger member having means near the lower end thereof for detachably connecting a toy vehicle thereto.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein the elevation of the slots on the helmet side portions is greater than the length of the hanger member from the clip to said connecting means. 

1. An apparatus for carrying miniature toy vehicles or the like comprising, a. a helmet of rigid sheet material adapted to fit on a child''s head and having portions adapted to extend along the sides of the head, b. said side portions each having one or more horizontal slots near the top thereof, c. an elongated hanger member having a clip near one end thereof for insertion into one of said slots to depend vertically along the side portion of the helmet, and d. said hanger member having means near the lower end thereof for detachably connecting a toy vehicle thereto.
 2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein the elevation of the slots on the helmet side portions is greater than the length of the hanger member from the clip to said connecting means. 